Staring at the Sun
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| "Staring at the Sun" | ||
|---|---|---|
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| First single cover | ||
| Single by U2 | ||
| from the album Pop | ||
| B-side(s) | "North and South of the River" / "Your Blue Room" | |
| Released | April 15, 1997 | |
| Format | 7" vinyl, CD, cassette | |
| Genre | Rock | |
| Length | 4:37 | |
| Label | Island | |
| Writer(s) | Bono and The Edge | |
| Producer(s) | Flood | |
| Chart positions | ||
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| U2 singles chronology | ||
| "Discothèque" (1997) |
"Staring at the Sun" (1997) |
"Last Night on Earth" (1997) |
| Alternate Cover | ||
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| Second single cover | ||
| Pop track listing | ||
| "If God Will Send His Angels" (4) |
"Staring at the Sun" (5) |
"Last Night on Earth" (6) |
| The Best of 1990-2000 track listing | ||
| "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" (13) |
"Staring at the Sun" (14) |
"Numb" (15) |
"Staring at the Sun" is the second single from U2's 1997 album, Pop.
Contents |
[edit] History
The song was written with the lyrics, "Stuck together with God's glue," and were taken directly from the title of the album same name by the Irish band Something Happens, who are good friends of U2.[1]
After a poor full band performance of the song on the opening night of the Popmart Tour, it was performed acoustically for most of that tour. It had several appearances on the Elevation Tour.
A new mix of "Staring at the Sun" was released for the compilation, The Best of 1990-2000. During the summer of 2002 recording sessions in which "Electrical Storm" and "The Hands That Built America" were recorded, parts for four U2 songs were re-recorded, including "Staring at the Sun."
[edit] Track listings
Two formats were released, one with two B-sides, "North and South of the River" and "Your Blue Room" (from Original Soundtracks No. 1), and the second release with three remixes of the title track.
[edit] Version 1
- "Staring at the Sun" (Album Version) – 4:37
- "North and South of the River" – 4:38
- "Your Blue Room" – 5:28
This was the first CD version. It was also released as a 7" and cassette, excluding "Your Blue Room".
[edit] Version 2
- "Staring at the Sun" (Monster Truck Mix) – 5:06
- "Staring at the Sun" (Sad Bastards Mix) – 6:19
- "North and South of the River" – 4:38
- "Staring at the Sun" (Lab Rat Mix) – 5:05
This was the second CD single.
[edit] Cultural References
- The 2005 hit single "Feel Good Inc" by Gorillaz borrows heavily from the verse melody of "Staring at the Sun" in its chorus.
- The hit medical show Grey's Anatomy named an episode in its third season after the song.
[edit] Charts
| Chart (1997) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks | 1 |
| Canadian Singles Chart | 2 |
| U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks | 2 |
| UK Singles Chart | 3 |
| Eurochart Hot 100 Singles | 21 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 26 |
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart | 23 |
| German Singles Chart | 78 |
